Kim Bordenkircher of Henry County Hospital located in Napoleon, OH, has
been appointed by Dr. Patrick Gallagher, Director of the Commerce Department's
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to the 2011 Board
of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The Award,
created by public law in 1987, is the highest level of national recognition
for performance excellence that a U.S. organization can receive.
As an Examiner, Bordenkircher is responsible for reviewing and evaluating
applications submitted for the Award. The board is composed of approximately
500 leading experts selected from industry, professional and trade organizations,
education and health care organizations, and nonprofits (including government).
Those selected meet the highest standards of qualification and peer recognition.
All members of the board must take part in a preparation course based
on the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence and the scoring and
evaluation processes for the Baldrige Award.
The Baldrige Award may be given annually in each of six categories: Manufacturing,
Service, Small Business, Education, Health Care, and Nonprofit. Awards
have been presented to 80 organizations, including the 2010 recipients:
MEDRAD, Warrendale, Pa. (manufacturing); Nestlé Purina PetCare
Co., St. Louis, Mo. (manufacturing); Freese and Nichols Inc., Fort Worth,
Texas (small business); K&N Management, Austin, Texas (small business);
Studer Group, Gulf Breeze, Fla. (small business); Advocate Good Samaritan
Hospital, Downers Grove, Ill. (health care); and Montgomery County Public
Schools, Rockville, Md. (education). Information about the Baldrige National
Quality Program and the application process is available from the Baldrige
National Quality Program, at (301) 975-2036 or
nqp@nist.gov, or from the Baldrige Program's website at http://www.nist.gov/baldrige.
"The Malcolm Baldrige Award is the benchmark for quality excellence.
I am thrilled to further my learning and share this knowledge to help
improve healthcare in Northwest Ohio," stated Kim Bordenkircher,
Henry County Hospital's chief executive officer.
Bordenkircher also recently lead two break-out sessions at Professional
Research Consultant's 2011 Annual Conference, was a panel expert at
Studer Group's Taking You and Your Organization to the Next Level
Conference, recorded a national teaching webinar for Studer Group, and
was a key note speaker at the following conferences: the Center for Rural
Health & Long Term Care Facilities Annual Summer Meeting, Leadership
Development Institute of Midwest Health System, and the Fall Conference
of the Association of Ohio Health Commissioners. "Healthcare is in
the process of revolutionary changes," commented Bordenkircher. "There
was a time when nobody traded best practices, I am pleased that this is
no longer so. I am honored to share Henry County Hospital's journey
to excellence so every patient can have an exceptional experience wherever
they choose to receive care."
The Award Program is managed by NIST in close cooperation with the private
sector. ASQ in Milwaukee, Wisc., administers the program. For further
information about Kim Bordenkircher, contact (419) 591-3825. For media
inquiries or interview requests about the Baldrige Program or the Award,
reporters may contact Michael E. Newman, NIST Public Affairs Office, at
(301) 975-3025 or
michael.newman@nist.gov.